Recent CDC Article Highlights Tobacco Use in MMWR

Evidence-based interventions such as increasing tobacco prices, implementing comprehensive smoke-free policies, conducting mass media anti-tobacco use campaigns, and promoting accessible smoking cessation assistance, are important to reduce tobacco use and tobacco-related disease and death among U.S. adults, particularly among sub-populations with the highest use.

CDC analyzed data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to assess state-specific prevalence estimates of current use of cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco among U.S. adults. Current cigarette smoking ranged from 9.7% (Utah) to 26.7% (West Virginia); current smokeless tobacco use ranged from 1.4% (Hawaii) to 8.8% (Wyoming); and current use of any cigarette and/or smokeless tobacco product ranged from 11.3% (Utah) to 32.2% (West Virginia). Nevada ranked 33rd among U.S. states and the District of Columbia for smoking rates, tied with Oregon at 17%.

Disparities in tobacco use by sex and race/ethnicity were observed; any cigarette and/or smokeless tobacco use was higher among males than females in all 50 states. By race/ethnicity, non-Hispanic whites had the highest prevalence of any cigarette and/or smokeless tobacco use in eight states, followed by non-Hispanic other races in six states, non-Hispanic blacks in five states, and Hispanics in two states; the remaining states did not differ significantly by race/ethnicity.